Systems and Methods for Locating a Payment System and Determining a Taxing Authority Utilizing a Point of Sale Device

Abstract

A point of sale (POS) device may be configured to locate a payment system and transmit a payment authorization request from a remote location to a payment system, either directly, or via a payment system directory and/or a SSL Gateway. The invention also includes inserting third party account information into an encrypted portion of the payment request, so the payment request appears as a normal request to the issuing bank, but the third party account information may be used by the third party to bill the customer. The payment system directory is further configured to determine one or more payment processors to direct a payment authorization request, such that a single transaction may me allocated among multiple payment processors for authorization. Moreover, the payment system directory is able to format alternative payment methods into a format that is able to be processed over existing payment networks.

1 . A method for facilitating a transaction at a point of sale (POS) device, said method including:
 querying a payment system directory to locate a candidate payment system for processing at least a portion of said transaction, wherein said candidate payment system receives payment information related to said transaction at said POS device;   receiving a tax rate relating to said transaction which was imposed by a taxing authority based on said payment information;   transmitting a payment authorization request related to said transaction from said POS device to said candidate payment system; and,   receiving payment authorization from said candidate payment system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein locating said candidate payment system further comprises acquiring an allocation rule associated with said payment information and locating said payment system directory based on said allocation rule. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving said payment information from a second POS device and querying said payment system directory to locate said candidate payment system, wherein said transaction is conducted at said second POS device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said candidate payment system transmits said payment information to a third party biller, and said third party biller bills a consumer for said transaction. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said candidate payment system caches a plurality of said transactions and releases said plurality of transactions based on at least one of: a predefined sum of said plurality of transactions or an elapsed period of time. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said payment information includes a proxy account number. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a proxy account number is associated with more than one transaction account, and wherein said proxy account number is authorized to be used for multiple transactions. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said candidate payment system is an Automated Clearing House (ACH). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a tax information system maintains stored tax rates and stored tax calculation rules when said stored tax rates and said stored tax calculation rules are not subject to modification for a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further including determining a geographic location of said POS device by way of at least one of: a GPS satellite system signal, Network Assisted GPS (A-GPS), or Enhanced Observed Time Difference (E-OTD), Cell Global Identity Timing Advance (CGI-TA) or Uplink Time of Arrival (TOA). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving a tax rate is based on a location of said transaction determined by at least one of: a Global Positioning System (GPS), an IP address, Internet Service Provider (ISP), or a manual configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further including determining when stored tax rates and stored tax calculation rules should be modified based on a universally coordinated timestamp provided by a location signal of a location apparatus and connecting to a tax information system to retrieve an update to said stored tax rates and said stored tax calculation rules. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of: a payment system directory or said candidate payment system includes said tax information system. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , further including a tax directory identifying said tax authority upon receipt of a request, said request including a factor of said transaction. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said factor comprises at least one of location data, a description of said transaction, and a tax status of a party participating in said transaction. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting a payment authorization request comprises transmitting a payment authorization request utilizing a wireless POS device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting a payment authorization request comprises transmitting a payment authorization request utilizing a wireless POS device, wherein said wireless POS device is configured to access at least one of an Internet, a gateway, and an SSL Gateway. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said payment information is obtained by way of at least one of: a magnetic stripe reader, bar code reader, biometric scanner, smart card reader and RFID reader. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said payment authorization is received from said payment system directory. 
     
     
         20 . A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions comprising:
 instructions to query a payment system directory to locate a candidate payment system for processing at least a portion of said transaction, wherein said candidate payment system receives payment information related to said transaction at said POS device;   instructions to receive a tax rate relating to said transaction which was imposed by a taxing authority based on said payment information;   instructions to transmit a payment authorization request related to said transaction from said POS device to said candidate payment system; and,   instructions to receive payment authorization from said candidate payment system.